Jewish Claims Committee Grants $135,000 in Scholarships for 1956-57

July 10, 1956

NEW YORK (Jul. 9)

Scholarships and fellowships in the amount of $135,000 have been granted for the academic year 1956-57 to 194 Jewish students and intellectuals throughout the world who are victims of Nazi persecution. This was announced Friday by Jacob Blaustein, senior vice president of the Conference on Jewish Material claims Against Germany, which distributes these awards for Jewish study, research and creative work.

This is the third in the annual series of grants in the field of Jewish studies. Of the 194 recipients, 58 are students preparing for careers in professional fields, 64 are engaged in graduate studies and 72 are fellows conducting independent research in the humanities, social studies and creative art.

Mr. Blaustein said, in making his announcement, that the Conference considers one of its essential obligations to be the reconstruction of Jewish communal and cultural life and the encouragement of Jewish scholarship and creative work which the Nazis had sought to destroy. “The scholarship and fellowship awards represent an essential part of these activities.” Mr. Blaustein declared: “Every effort will be made to build up a reservoir of talent in the field of Jewish learning, which is so necessary to the survival of the sorely afflicted Jewish communities.”

The grant of $135,000 is a part of the $1,328,000 allocated by the Conference this year for cultural and educational rehabilitation. Of the overall Conference budget amounting to $10,070,000, the major portion has been earmarked for basic relief needs of Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. The Conference, which includes 22 major Jewish organizations, administers funds received under the terms of the agreement which it negotiated in 1952 with the governments of Israel and of West Germany.